The final result is a clear indication that Gozo dictated matters throughout the whole 60 minutes. They created much more occasions than Balzan who offered a very feeble challange. Gozo keeper Matthew Muscat had a very easy hour as he was never troubled.

The yougsters from the sister island soon made their intentions clear as they started on the offensive as early as the third minute.

Dylan Bellotti won a loose ball outside the area, outsped two opponents and missed the upright with his shot after entering the area, the same player served Luke Meilaq with a square pass and Balzan keeper Gianluca Borg saved his close-range shot, and Shaun Attard served Bellotti in the area but Borg saved his shot.

Balzan created their only action in the 15th minute when Ryan Sciberras received the ball from a long drop kick by his keeper and after entering the area he missed the upright.

The Gozitans resumed with their pressing: a one-two between Daniel Portelli and Meilaq finished with the latter crossing the ball from the left and it was neutralised by Borg. Jason Pace served Portelli with a cross from the right but he drove over the bar from inside the area.Carmel Vella served Bellotti from the left flank and the ball was saved by Borg following his shot, and Pace then served Attard in the area and again Borg came to his side's rescue once again.

A minute before half time Gozo deservedly took the lead as Pace served Bellotti with a through ball in the area and he shot past Borg with a grounder.

All the actions after restart were created by Gozo. Bellotti served Attard from the right flank and Borg saved the ball in two attempts. Portell then pounced on a faulty clearance and the ball thumped the bar after his shot from outside the area with Borg beaten and it was cleared with difficulty.

In the 38th minute the score became 2-0 after a prolonged action: Attard served Bellotti in the area and a defender cleared the ball to a corner which was taken by Pace, the ball was partly cleared and Attard was on hand to score from the rebound, and four minutes later they scored a third goal as Pace served Bellotti in the area who made the most of a faulty sortie by Borg as he crossed with a grounder to Attard who had the easiest of tasks to shoot the ball in an empty net.

The fourth goal was scored in the 45th minute when after a run down the left flank by Bellotti he entered the area and scored with a low shot and the fifth and final goal was scored ten minutes from time through Attard who scored from inside the area after a through ball by Christian Debono.

Gozo: M.Muscat, S.Parnis, S.Attard, J.Buttigieg, L.Meilak, D,Bellotti, J.Pace, C.Vella, D.Portelli, C.Debono, S.Farrugia.

Balzan Y: G. Borg (D. Bezzina), Y. Sammut, D. Cassar, J. Pace, A. Azzopardi, Ph. Cutajar, M. Bezzina, R. Sciberras, A. Cassar, B. Sciberras, R. Baldacchino

Referee: Matthew Chircop

Player of the match: Jason Pace (Gozo)

Rabat A 4

Birkirkara 1

APS Bank U/17 Section A

Rabat fully deserved the verdict as they were better than the Stripes as they created much more actions during the game. They were also quicker on the ball and sharper in their moves. On their part, the Stripes tried very hard to penetrate the solid Rabat defence and tried very hard to operate on the break.

Following this game, Rabat are in sixth position on 26 points from 17 games while Birkirkara are in seventh position on 22 points from 18 games.

The first two actions were created by Birkirkara: David Spiteri was fouled on the right flank and Rabat keeper Renald Portelli saved the free kick shot by Andre' Cassar and from another free kick by the same player Portelli saved the ball in two attempts.

The reation by Rabat was very immediate as they started to mount attack after another. From a cross by Luca Borg the ball was headed away by a defender. After Francesco Azzopardi was fouled outside the area the ball hit the defensive barrier from the free kick shot by Neil Farrugia. Christian Vassallo served Azzopardi with a through ball, the latter returned the compliment to Sacha Cortis in the area but he drove out when well placed.

Rabat opened the score in the 20th minute when the ball was partly cleared after a cross from the right by Christian Calleja and Vassallo scored a beauty with a rising shot from outside the area from the rebound. Luca Borg then served Cortis with a cross from the right and he hit the side-netting from his shot.

Borg pounced on a faulty clearance and as he tried his luck from outside the area Grima tipped the ball to a corner, which was taken by the same player and Azzopardi headed over the bar, and three minutes before the break Rabat doubled the score when Calleja was fouled outside the area and Grima palmed the ball from the free kick shot by Vassallo which came in the path of Keith Gauci who shot past Grima from inside the area.

The second period was also dominated by Rabat as they created many actions. Calleja served Sacha Cortis with a cross from the right and Grima saved his close-range shot. Shawn Gauci served Sacha Cortis in the area but Grima denied him from concluding with a timely sortie.

The score became 3-0 in the 55th minute as Azzopardi served Borg in the area and he scored with a low shot, and in the 68th minute they scored No4 with an identical move involving the same players, and in the 69th minute Grima effected a good save on a shot by Borg after a square pass by Vassallo. Birkirkara manged to reduce the gap in the 72nd minute when from a flag kick by David Spiteri, Massimo Chircop headed past Portelli.

Rabat D: R.Portelli, C.Calleja, T.Bugeja, S.Cortis, S.Gauci, N.Farrugia, S.Cortis, C.Vassallo, L.Borg, K.Gauci, (A.Laudi), F.Azzopardi

Birkirkara: J. Grima, I. Schembri, R. Scicluna, D.D ebono, M. Chircop, D. Spiteri, F. Zammit, K. Caruana, M.Bugeja, A.Cassar

Referee: Sandro Spiteri